1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a lighting device used primarily as a warning device or road flare. The device is normally stored in the trunk of an emergency vehicle until it is needed to alert oncoming drivers of a hazard in the road. It is commonly used by first responders such as policeman or fireman however it can be used by private citizens as well. In an emergency the user removes the light from his vehicle and places it in the road to signal to approaching vehicles the fact that a hazard exists. It is common practice for several of these devices to be placed in the roadway forming a wedge to guide approaching vehicles around the hazard.
2. Prior Art
Prior art includes electric lights employed to identify road hazards. These include lights mounted on barricades, or on plastic cones. These electric lights are usually positioned from two to four feet above the roadway. They are bulky and are too large to store within the limited space available on many emergency vehicles. In addition if struck by an oncoming vehicle they can damage the vehicle or, if projected through the air, strike a first responder.
Prior art also includes smaller electric lights that are placed directly on the road. They have a low center of gravity and a base dimension to height quotient or ratio stability exceeding 1.0. They are designed to be run over by oncoming vehicles without sustaining damage or being projected by an impinging vehicle towards a first responder. These small electric lights often replace incendiary road flares because they avoid the hazards created by pyrotechnic devices. They are commonly stored within a hard opaque plastic case or fabric pouch in groups of four to eight. When needed they are removed from the case, switched “ON” and placed on the roadway. The fabric pouches usually include a shoulder strap permitting the first responder to sling it over his shoulder and carry the group of flares while placing them in a wedge formation a substantial distance before the obstruction.
Prior art also includes designs having a magnet glued into a cavity in their base permitting the flare to be attached to the top of a disabled vehicle.
Prior art also includes trunk lights permanently attached to the vehicle and activated by a switch as the trunk is opened. These are permanently attached to the vehicle.
Prior art further includes marine distress lights with a gravity switch that activates them when they are upright floating in water. These lights are usually unstable on land.
Prior art includes devices having a stability ratio exceeding 1.0 and a center of gravity less than two inches from a horizontal road. However the prior art does not add the gravity power controller to these design features.